Comatose
by Lov3the3vil
Summary: A tormented soul seeks the solace of his first love and finds a temporary shelter with her. But all good things must come to an end as his dark past hunts him down and hangs his even darker sins over his head. DARK AU
1. Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: Don't own, don't sue.

**I hadn't planned on uploading this just yet, I wanted to finish another chapter or two first. But I saw that _The Shadows Are Dancing_ had exactly 15000 hits. So, this is kind of a THANK YOU for that.**

A/N: Here's the significantly darker version of "The Shadows Are Dancing."

Comatose 

He drifted in and out of consciousness, only his determination keeping him moving against the rain and wind pushing against him. He'd swam across the lake to this island with the giant T-shaped tower on it, before that he had been traveling with little to no rest, just trying to get away from the people he knew were after him.

He paused for a single moment, staring at the entrance standing before him, and he turned in a circle, letting the wind buffet his rain-soaked shirt, and he looked out over the dark turbulent waters.

They were after him, he knew, for the secrets he held and had uncovered while working for them. He knew they were out there, but he also knew he had lost them. For now.

It would be several days before they could track him again, but he hoped he could at least spend some time with _her_ first. That was all the mattered to him at that moment. He needed to see _her_ and make sure he wasn't going crazy, that she was real and he wasn't in love with someone who had no idea who he was.

He knew he had known her before her status as a super hero in Jump City, the problem that stood before him was the fact that he wasn't sure anymore. The mind games, the manipulation, they had all taken their toll on him, and he was sure he was near the brink of something. Insanity maybe. Possibly a nervous breakdown where he would end up in a massacre, surrounded by bodies.

The introspection lasted a single moment, but by the time he'd returned to reality he saw the rain turn red, a dark blood red. He panicked, it was happening again, he needed to get to the door, get to safety.

He needed to see _her_ and reaffirm his own sanity.

----- ----- -----

* * *

The knocking had started with three raps on the door in quick succession, but the longer she took to answer the door, the more urgent they became, like something was chasing whoever was out there.

The urgency was what had her walking quickly to the door. The others had been busy, that's why she was answering the door. And she would have answered it agonizingly slow to torture whoever dared interrupt her reading time on a perfectly rainy day, had she not sensed the urgency from this someone who might possibly be in danger.

She opened the door and it swung open under the combined force of the wind and the body that had been leaning against it, she suddenly realized the banging had stopped shortly before she opened the door. She almost panicked, but held her emotions in check; five years of constant meditation had given her mastery of her emotions and powers.

Or so she'd thought.

She gasped when she turned the fallen body over and recognized the face of the stranger. His eyes opened and those piercing blue-gray eyes assaulted her with memories she had almost forgotten.

"_Hi! Wanna be friends?"_

"_Rae-chan, let's play tag!"_

"_What's this word, Rae-chan?"_

"_I-uh…um…is it alright if I kiss you?"_

"_Rae-chan, I think I love you."_

"_Rae-chan."_

"_Rae-chan."_

"_Rae-chan…"_

His lips parted and a light sparked in his eyes, "Rae-chan…" Those were the only words he managed before passing out with a content smile on his face.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, taking a tight reign on her emotions and keeping them in check. She stood and closed the door, before turning and walking into the living room and tapping Cyborg on the shoulder. She would have moved the body herself, but she didn't trust her control over her powers at the moment.

Cyborg turned around and looked in the direction Raven pointed, he was shocked to find a comatose body lying in front of their closed door. He raised an eyebrow at Raven as if to say, "What do you want _me_ to do about it?"

"Carry him to my room," Raven said. It was not a suggestion, or a favor being asked for kindly. It was a demand, plain and simple.

Cyborg didn't hesitate to even pause the game he had been playing with Beast Boy, he dropped the controller and jumped over the couch before moving to pick up the body. He'd learned to listen and listen well when Raven used that tone of voice. It was _not_ pretty when you didn't move fast enough for that tone of voice.

He followed Raven to her room quietly, it was useless asking questions when he wasn't going to get any answers, but…

Cyborg laid him on her bed and moved to leave, only pausing outside her door for a single question, "Who is he?"

"Ranma Saotome."

And the door closed in his face. He sighed and moved on to Robin's room, he wasn't going to trust this complete stranger until he knew more. He could get the information on his own, but Robin deserved to know they had a surprise guest in the tower.

----- ----- -----

* * *

Raven stood at the edge of her bed, staring at the young man that now lay on her bed. He had changed over the course of eight years. His form was more muscular, but in an athletic way. His ponytail looked shorter than it had been, his shoulders broader, his face more angular, and he had more scars. She could barely make them out through the shirt he wore, but they were there.

Her eyes focused on a scar that peeked out from under his t-shirt sleeve. It was familiar, all too familiar. Her eyes widened and her pupils shrunk as she was once again assaulted by memories, but this time ones that she had tried to bury and forget.

She dropped to her knees, suddenly overwhelmed by the torrent of emotions the memories caused. Tears streamed down her cheeks and her power manifested as flames writhing about her form.

"No, he left willingly, damn it!" She shouted, her eyes were clenched shut, "The romance wasn't there!" A sob slipped through her lips and the flames writhed more violently, reacting to the turmoil she faced.

"_He didn't love me!_" She screamed trying to defend herself against the pictures she unwillingly viewed behind her eyelids and the relentless emotions battering against her strained emotional walls.

----- ----- -----

* * *

Ranma drifted weightlessly through the abyss of his mind. It was always dark, always chaotic, and always painful. But not this time, it was simply dark and empty, calming yet exciting.

It was the first time in years he was sleeping without those hellish eyes staring at him, mocking him. The demons of his present could never touch him in his sleep; it was the demons of his past that frightened him to the point of hyperventilation. They only appeared when he was alone for long periods of time, when his thoughts lulled and he mental walls weakened.

But they were gone, temporarily kept at bay by the comfort of those lavender eyes. The same eyes that had haunted his dreams for years, taunted him and agonized him until he awoke with such a pain in his chest that he could do little more than lay there and stare at the ceiling until it faded into that familiar dull ache.

Now he was comforted by the fact that, although shock had been the original emotion found, recognition had come quickly after. Comforted by the fact that he would more than likely see those eyes watching over him with a caring that his entire existence had lacked.

He was elated to find that the darkness was thinning, signaling that he was approaching consciousness.

Ranma found his lips curling into a small smile, something he hadn't done in years, as he began to register things in mind. The feel of the sheets beneath him, damp from his rain-soaked clothes, were cool against his exposed skin. The smell of lavender permeated the room, a soothing smell that comforted the soul.

The smile was gone the moment he heard the anguished pain in her voice, "_He didn't love me!_"

Then and there, he knew he would do all in his power to keep her from ever feeling that pain again.

----- ----- -----

* * *

To Be Continued…

Reviews welcome. Flames will be used to fend off lawyers.

-Lov3the3vil


	2. Chapter 2

DISCLAIMER: Not mine. You sue and I'll have finally found a practical use for a cane.

Comatose  
Chapter 2

Robin sat in his room, in front of the computer with text scrolling upward on the screen, Cyborg standing behind him. Cyborg tapped his foot as more text scrolled by, it had been five minutes since he'd dropped Ranma off in Raven's room and he was beginning to get antsy.

"So, who is he? Did you find anything yet?"

"Not sure yet, give it another minute," Robin replied. He scanned the text as it moved by, muttering to himself and noting certain, almost irrelevant, facts, "Age 20, deceased father…mother's location unknown, adopted by one Kimiko Takeda who's deceased…"

Cyborg blinked, "Hold up. Scroll back to the beginning, near the date of birth…"

"Find something?"

"Maybe."

----- ----- -----

* * *

Ranma sat up and opened his eyes, he watched the black flames that wreathed Raven's form and stood, slowly approaching her.

He reached out a hand and whispered her name, "Raven…"

The pitch-black flames lashed out and writhed around her like inky tentacles. Lacerations appeared on his outstretched arm as tiny lines of red, blood slowly beginning to bead above the skin. Ranma withdrew his hand, staring at the teardrops of blood that now ran down his bent arm, his eyes haunted by memories that were newer than he would have liked.

He shook his head, freeing his mind from the dark grasp of those memories and returned his attention to Raven. He watched her as she reached back towards the dresser behind her, her hand grasping air, as her eyes remained clenched shut. Ranma recognized the object lying harmlessly on the dresser for what it was and intercepted her hand.

Clasping her wrist, he hissed at the pain but ignored it as best he could, instead focusing on the situation at hand. He pulled at her wrist, moving Raven away from the dresser and spinning her slightly so she'd rest against the end of the bed.

Her eyes were open, but they saw nothing but the memories playing in her mind. The glazed look he saw didn't faze him, he'd seen it on other people, he'd even seen it on himself a time or two.

He released his grip on her wrist and dropped to his knees so that he straddled her thighs, but hovered above them. He settled his hands on either side of her face and gently tilted her head so he could stare straight into her unseeing eyes.

"Raven," Ranma spoke her name softly and repeated it like a chant, trying to draw her from the nightmare of emotions she was facing.

----- ----- -----

* * *

"There," Cyborg tapped the computer screen; drawing Robin's attention to one particular fact he had somehow missed.

Robin murmured to himself as he read. He frowned, "How?"

"Heck if I know, but I do know we left this guy alone with Raven."

"Raven can handle herself as well as any of us can," Robin replied, scrolling down slowly and paying careful attention to the details given.

"I don't feel comfortable with him alone with her, we don't know what he's capable of," Cyborg countered.

"You're beginning to sound like Beast Boy," Robin shot back, "But I have to agree to a point, something's off about this Ranma character. Like he shouldn't exist, but he does."

----- ----- -----

* * *

Beast Boy muttered, his game with Cyborg had been interrupted, just as he was about to overtake him for the win too. And then he and Raven had disappeared into the maze of halls that littered the tower.

He turned and leaned back to peek into the kitchen, Starfire was cooking…_something_. God only knows what or if it would even be edible, which it would most likely not be. He irked when a tentacle slipped out from under a pot lid.

"Maybe I should go see where Cyborg and Raven went off to…" Mission in mind, he slinked off, hoping he wouldn't be spotted by Starfire and subjected to being her taste-tester.

----- ----- -----

* * *

There was a knock on the door before it slid open, "Speak of the green devil."

"That was horrible, Cyborg," Robin intoned, exasperated. He hadn't turned from the computer screen yet.

"What are you guys up to?" Beast Boy asked.

"Researching," Was Robin's reply and Beast Boy looked to Cyborg for a better answer.

"A mystery man showed up on our doorstep several minutes ago. We're looking up his information now and we found something you might wanna see," He pointed to the screen as Robin scrolled back up.

Beast Boy scanned the words briefly before shrugging and standing up. The words actually processing in his mind a moment later, causing him to do a double-take at the screen, "Wait, what?"

"I thought the same thing," Cyborg commented.

"Where is this guy now? Can we question him and stuff?" Beast Boy asked. He again looked to Cyborg since he seemed to know a bit more about the man's appearance.

Cyborg shrugged, "I'm not sure. Raven was the one who found him, he's laying on her bed with her watching over him as far as I know."

"Wait a second. Did you just say he was in her room?"

"Yeah."

"Why the hell is she in there with just that stranger?" Beast Boy asked, only just managing to keep from yelling.

"Because Raven is perfectly capable of taking care of herself. She doesn't need a babysitter anymore than you need sugar, Beast Boy," Robin answered calmly.

"We should at least check on her," Beast Boy muttered.

"You'll do nothing of the sort, Beast Boy," Robin said, finally turning from the screen to face them, "Despite what information the computer has brought up, we still know next to nothing about this guy. Stay alert and cautious around him, but at the same time you'll need to treat him with respect."

"What, why?" Beast Boy asked almost appalled at such an idea.

"Raven obviously knows him, so there _must_ be something more to him than what we've read from this report. If he starts acting suspicious we'll deal with it like Titans. Until then he's a guest, and he will be treated like one. Is that understood?"

Beast Boy nodded grudgingly, "I still think we should check up on her," He muttered.

"No one is to bother Raven or her guest until such time that they leave her room," Robin said.

"Yeah, sure, fine, whatever," Beast Boy grumbled as he stalked out of the room.

"Are you sure he'll listen?" Cyborg asked.

"Not a clue, but I'm hoping he won't break down her door at any rate," Robin said, swiveling to face the computer once more. There was a moment of silence as Robin tapped away on the keyboard, saving the background check.

"Do you want me to go make sure he doesn't do anything stupid?" Cyborg asked.

"Would you? I'm going to make sure the kitchen's still standing," Robin replied, standing from his chair and beginning to make his way to the kitchen. Cyborg exited the room a moment later and went in the opposite direction, following the path he was almost positive Beast Boy had taken.

----- ----- -----

* * *

Beast Boy walked down the hall with a frown on his face, it wasn't right. This complete stranger shouldn't be alone with _his_ Raven in her room. He paused for a second before continuing on, technically Raven wasn't his, but that really wasn't the factor he was focusing on.

This strange man had shown up on their doorstep and automatically had access to a room that had taken the rest of the Titans a minimum of two years to approach without a consequential glare from their resident goth.

It was frustrating because he knew he wouldn't be able to do anything until Robin gave the go ahead. Beast Boy sighed, it sucked not being the leader sometimes.

He was walking by Raven's door when he vaguely overheard her voice, and one other, through the door.

"…It was _you_ who kept me from giving in," He could tell the voice belonged to the mystery man who had shown up earlier and narrowed his eyes. It bothered him greatly that this stranger wasn't a girl at least then he wouldn't have to be so damned jealous, "I would _never_ see you again."

Beastboy frowned, having missed part of the conversation, but still not liking where things seemed to be leading.

"Me?" He heard Raven ask, she sounded slightly timid, something very unusual.

"The need to see you again-" Beastboy snorted, and shook his head, this guy sounded corny as hell, like he was reading from a script, "I needed to see you." Again, Beastboy had missed some of the conversation, but he deemed it unimportant.

Beastboy strained his ears slightly to catch more of the conversation, "After a while, though, it just stopped mattering. I knew someone out there cared and-" Beastboy knew he couldn't let this go on, at the rate it was going something that he just _knew_ he wasn't going to approve of was going to happen.

"I've missed you," Her voice was unmistakable and, according to all of the corny romance films he'd been forced to watch courtesy of Starfire, a kiss would more than likely follow that line. And there wasn't a snowball's chance in hell he'd let _that_ happen without any repercussions.

He lifted his hand, poised to knock, but a metallic hand stopped him before he could make contact with the door. He turned to face Cyborg, his hand still in his grasp.

"Let go."

"Robin told you to stay away from her room," Cyborg said.

"I have to pass her room to get to mine, Cyborg. Now, let go. If you'd have heard what I did, you'd let me interrupt them," Beast Boy countered.

"You're eavesdropping on them?" Cyborg said shocked, "How low are you seriously willing to go?"

"As low as I need to, now let me go," Beast Boy replied, his eyes narrowing in a rare display of annoyance bordering on anger.

Cyborg slightly loosened his grip on Beast Boy and it was all he needed to retrieve his hand and start pounding on the door.

"Raven? Raven, open the door!"

"Gah!" Cyborg quickly placed himself between Beast Boy and the door and grabbed both of Beast Boy's hands in one of his, "Stop that, Robin's gonna come up here and then we'll both be in trouble!"

Beast Boy said nothing, but glared at Cyborg between his upraised arms. Cyborg sighed and turned, "Fine, _I'll _knock on the door," He gently tapped the door with what he deemed a weak rap and irked when the door fell inward.

----- ----- -----

* * *

Robin looked up at the ceiling as a loud crash sounded overhead. Starfire had been showing him her latest creation in the kitchen and he was just grateful she didn't want him to taste it, though it looked as if she had just been about to ask.

He silently thanked whatever god was watching over him and stood from his seat, "C'mon, Star, let's go see what kind of trouble Beast Boy and Cyborg have gotten into."

Starfire removed her apron and floated out of the kitchen behind Robin, "How do you know it is Beast Boy and Cyborg causing this trouble, Robin?"

"Let's call it a 'gut feeling', Star," Shouts had begun filling the air and they slowly became louder as he got closer to his destination.

"What is this 'gut feeling', Robin? Is it when your stomach requires food?"

"Not quite. It's more like when you're in the middle of a fight and you naturally move to dodge an attack you couldn't see."

Starfire had no chance to reply as they came upon the scene causing the commotion they'd heard from the kitchen. They approached just in time to see Beast Boy hit the wall with a dull thud and then slide down the wall.

Beast Boy moved to get up and re-engage whomever he'd been fighting but Robin ran to the by now demolished door, skidding to a halt between the two parties.

"What's going here?" Robin demanded.

To Be Continued…

* * *

Reviews welcome. Flames will be used to fend off lawyers.

-Lov3the3vil


	3. Chapter 3

DISCLAIMER: My cloak's a weird color because it is dyed with the blood of cheeky lawyers.

Comatose  
Chapter 3

The movie playing behind her eyelids drew to a close, leaving her shaken and uneasy. Tears were threatening to form in her eyes and her emotions were beginning to overwhelm her.

She had her eyes clenched shut, fighting back the tears she thought had long run out, and then realized there was another presence in the room with her. She kept her eyes closed for a few more moments in order to compose herself before opening them and revealing eyes that were no longer dull and glazed.

Ranma leaned back on his heels, just in front of her half bent legs, and smiled softly at her, "Welcome back."

She stared at him for a moment, as if trying to convince herself he was real, before gently laying a hand on his cheek, "You're real… you came back."

"Yes, I came back," He gripped her slender hand in his and gently moved it from his face as he hesitated slightly, "…for you."

There was a moment of silence and then the sudden sound of flesh colliding with flesh as Raven's freehand collided with his cheek, putting him off balance and sending him sprawling to the floor.

Ranma held his red-tinged cheek and stared incredulously at Raven. He had barely felt the blow, but the emotions behind that slap had caught him off-guard. He wasn't sure if it had been something he said or something that had been waiting years to occur.

Raven stood and stared down at him, her face an emotionless mask and her voice eerily calm, only her eyes, burning with a controlled anger that hid her feelings of betrayal, shattered the image of complete calm, "Eight years ago you abandoned me and everyone else at the shrine that had taken care of you for almost two years. During that time we grew close, we were friends and then we were something more. I trusted you, Ranma, and in one day you left behind both that trust and the shrine in a fiery ruin. I was the only survivor, you know."

Ranma would have hung his head in guilt, but the fire burning in her eyes wouldn't let him look away, all he could do was whisper his apology, "I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…"

"You're sorry?" Raven raised an eyebrow, "It's too late for apologies now, Ranma."

"I know… but I'm still sorry. I hadn't meant for that to happen…" Ranma whispered.

"Oh, so you _did_ burn the shrine down, just as I had thought?"

"What? No! That isn't what I meant!"

"Then what _did_ you mean?" Raven was coming very close to yelling and Ranma could see black tendrils creeping from beneath her cloak.

"I meant that I hadn't meant to leave!" Ranma tried to explain, "I didn't mean to leave that day."

"So you were going to leave me another day then?"

"Yes, no!" Ranma sighed, "I don't know. It's complicated alright?"

"No, it's _not_ alright," Raven snapped, "You left without a word, without a trace, nothing. I thought you had left after setting fire to the shrine and there was nothing that proved to me otherwise."

Ranma stared into her violet eyes, searching for something he couldn't name. He saw betrayal, he saw sadness, a deep-rooted loneliness that was slowly fading, and a faint flicker of hope as she stared into his own gray-blue eyes. Raven wasn't sure why she couldn't tear her eyes from his gaze, but his eyes were unnerving, she realized. His pupils looked no different from what she could remember of them way back when, but they _felt_ different, almost animalistic in nature.

Finally, Ranma broke eye contact, "I…" He sighed heavily in resignation, "I will answer all that you ask of me and on my honor I will speak the truth. I have only one condition."

Raven eyed him, wondering what he could possibly want, "What condition?"

"A shower. I've been traveling non-stop for several days, a hot shower would be nice to fight off a possible pneumonia," He replied.

She nodded and showed him the way to the adjoined bathroom, briefly showing him where the towels are before she shut the door behind her and walked to her bed. The sheets were a bit damp where Ranma had been laying down and would start smelling musty if she didn't change them soon.

As she went about removing the sheets she pondered over how he had received the injuries she spotted before, she could've sworn he'd not had them earlier when he arrived. She threw the sheets in a hamper hidden in a corner of her room to wash later and went to retrieve her spare sheets from the linens closet in the bathroom.

The bathroom was foggy from the steam generated by Ranma's hot shower, by the amount of steam and how warm the room was she imagined the water to be close to scalding. She paused on her way out, a fresh set of sheets under her arm, and briefly considered the silhouette behind the shower curtain. She shook her head and exited the bathroom.

Ten minutes later the door opened, expelling some steam, and Ranma emerged. He was wearing a pair of clean, dry pants and was rubbing a fluffy, dark violet towel against his hair in an effort to dry it.

She noted that he had many scars on his upper torso and caught a small glimpse of a black marking on the side of his neck as he tilted his head slightly. She placed her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow at him in question.

He placed the towel around his neck and sighed, "I suppose you'll be wanting those answers now, huh?"

Raven nodded, "Yes."

He sat on the freshly changed sheets of her bed and looked up into her eyes, "Ask me what you will."

"Why did you disappear the day of the fire?" She asked immediately.

"I…was kidnapped…" Ranma answered haltingly, "By a company my father had sold me to in exchange for a large sum of money several years before I found the shrine. They…experimented…on people and animals," He closed his eyes, "Mostly they combined different kinds of genetics…"

"Did they…?"

Ranma nodded, "I spent several months in the labs as they tested my DNA with hundreds of other types of DNA, seeing which mixtures would take and which would violently revoke the substance...Eventually they found a combination that would make me into the living weapon they were hoping for," He shook his head, dislodging memories as he spoke, "I put half the scientists in the medical wing after my first dosage…After that they were consistent with the sedatives."

Raven was silent for a moment, registering all she'd heard and trying to decide whether she'd believe him or not. Ranma had never lied to her before and the story seemed too outrageous to have been made up. Of course it helps they'd heard rumors circulating about genetically enhanced assassins being produced by an underground company.

"What…what did they use?"

"In reference to the DNA used?" At her nod he continued, "They found that the DNA of a wolf worked…They'd found that tiger DNA worked just as well…but decided felines of any species were too independent for me…"

Raven stepped closer and reached out to gently touch the side of his neck, "And this?"

Ranma's hand rose to grasp hers and he tilted his head so she could get a better look at it, "It's…it's what they use to identify us. We lose our identities and are known as numbers…or if we make an impression…nicknames."

"Did you have a nickname?" She asked softly, her eyes moving from the barcode and numbers to Ranma's blue-gray eyes.

"I started as a number in the labs," Ranma whispered, "1-1-3-9-2. Then, as they tested me, I became known as Bane," He stood from the bed and turned away from her as his voice rose slightly, "They sent me out as an assassin and I became the best, I had no choice. It was kill or be killed…so I killed. I was swift, deadly, emotionless…unstoppable. Soon I had become the destruction of all that was placed before me," He raised a fisted hand, staring at something only he could see, "I could strike down anything, quickly and efficiently, and there wasn't anything out there that could stop me. I was slowly being driven to madness."

He opened his fist and stared at his palm, he could see the blood of the hundreds he had murdered with bare hands, he could see his pants and chest splattered with blood, his feet soaked in it. He shut his eyes tight and shook his head quickly, trying to remove the images of the mangled corpses and destroyed lives he had caused.

Finally he turned back to her, his eyes alight with something neither of them could place, "But it was _you_ who kept me from giving in. I knew that if the darkness were to consume me…I would _never_ see you again."

"Me?" Raven lamely asked, she couldn't think of anything else to say in response.

"The need to see you again and make sure you knew I didn't leave you behind on purpose," Ranma explained further, "I needed to see you," He reached out a hand, as if to touch her, but thought better of it halfway there and dropped his hand to dangle at his side, "I needed to know you weren't a figment of my imagination…just a hollow figure trying to keep me from giving in.

"Something told me that you _were_ real, but aside from the memories that had turned into faded dreams…I had no proof. After a while, though, it just stopped mattering. I knew someone out there cared and knew I still existed outside of who I had become," He paused, hesitating, "I…you kept me from madness, Raven. And for that, I thank you."

Raven stood where she was, contemplating his words. Letting them sink in she thought to herself, Ranma had never lied to her. For all the time she'd spent with him, he'd been unable to lie without a stutter and couldn't meet the eyes of whomever he was lying to. She knew it could have changed over the years he'd been gone, but he'd told his entire story with raw emotion in his voice, and when he met her eyes with his…He couldn't possibly have been lying. She would accept him back, but if he betrayed her again, there would be no one alive who could save him from her wrath.

Ranma flinched when Raven took a step forward, half expecting to be struck for saying something wrong, and was relieved when she simply wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her forehead on his shoulder. He did the same for her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her a little closer.

"I've missed you," Raven whispered. His only response was to bury his face in her hair and tightened his arms around her. They stood like that, content with the silence.

But it was not to last, as pounding sounded on the door of her room followed by shouts.

"Raven? Raven, open the door!"

Ranma gave the door a curious look before looking at Raven who narrowed her eyes at the door and growled in annoyance, "Beastboy."

The pounding stopped and Ranma thought, idly, that they might have left well enough alone. But he knew better.

The next thing either of the room's occupants knew, the door had fallen off its hinges and landed with a hollow thud on the bedroom's floor. Raven stepped away from Ranma, but he kept a hand on her lower back as he let the scene play out.

"Oops…" Came from the taller of the two standing in the doorway. The shorter one strode into the room, unmindful of the door that was now a welcoming mat it seemed.

"What's going on here?" Beastboy asked, though it sounded like a demand in Ranma's ears.

"I should be asking _you_ that, Beastboy," Raven shot back, "And I'd have thought better of you, Cyborg."

Cyborg's cheeks flushed a little in shame and he muttered a quiet, "Sorry."

Raven turned back to Beastboy, "What do you think you're doing?"

Beastboy had gotten into a staring contest of sorts with Ranma and didn't bother to break eye contact to answer, "Protecting you."

"I don't need protection, Beastboy, least of all protection from Ranma."

"Ranma," Beastboy muttered, as if tasting the name and finding it unpleasant in every way possible, "What do you want?"

"Peace," Ranma answered, he'd stepped away from Raven and now stood straight, towering over the lanky vegetarian by five inches, his hands hanging open at his side, palms facing his legs.

Beastboy stepped forward and narrowed his eyes, eyeing him, "I'm sure," He didn't sound at all convinced, but it didn't seem to matter. His inner beast was awakening with a vengeance and rising to challenge this strange male who resonated with his own animalistic aura.

No one was quite sure what happened, but Beastboy's pupils suddenly dilated and he charged forward, Ranma remained still but a growl worked its way through him. When Beastboy was close enough, Ranma moved, stepping inside his sloppy punch and answering it with an uppercut to his stomach, lifting his feet from the ground and expelling the breath from his lungs.

Ranma removed his fist and let Beastboy's feet touch the ground again before Beastboy staggered back and tried to catch his breath. Ranma's face was emotionless and he simply watched Beastboy.

When Beastboy could breath again he lifted his head and glared at Ranma, "Think you're better than I am? Well you're not," He spat, "I don't know why you're here or what you want," Ranma remained silent, "But this is _not_ over."

He changed, morphing into a wolf, and lunged again. Ranma's eyes caught his and held them forcefully, "Stop," To Beastboy, the single word seemed to echo within him, taking hold of his mind and wrenching any control over his body from him.

Beastboy's form lurched to a stop, halting mid-leap and falling to stagger once more. He fell back onto his hind legs and changed back, holding his head and gasping in pain as he sat hunched over on his knees.

"Do not test my patience."

Beastboy grit his teeth, "What…what did you do to me?" Ranma said nothing as he watched Beastboy try to rise from his knees and stand, his legs shook horribly and only supported him for a few moments before collapsing beneath him. Cyborg stepped forward, intent on helping his friend to his feet, he was waved off though, Beastboy's stubborn streak coming to the forefront.

"You should rest," Ranma said.

"Rest from what, having my mind invaded?" Beastboy shot out, forcing himself to his feet, ignoring how they trembled beneath his weight, "I told you, this isn't over."

Ranma stood silent, his bangs covering his eyes. Raven was getting tired of the childishness, however, and stepped forward, "_I_ think it is."

"No, it's _far_ from over!" Beastboy shouted, rocketing forward with his fist aimed at Ranma's face. Ranma looked up, staring Beastboy in the eye as the incoming fist made a meaty impact with his cheek and turned his head slightly. Beastboy saw Ranma's eye dilate slightly between the ebony bangs before he was flung bodily away from his target.

Beastboy grunted and winced as his back slammed into the far wall of the hallway, he opened one eye to see Raven step over her fallen door, black tendrils of her power writhing beneath her cloak, imitating her still unstable emotions.

Before anything more could be exchanged, be they words or blows, Robin skidded into view, Starfire floating behind him.

"What's going on here?" Robin demanded, walking to stand between the demolished door and the dented wall.

There was a barrage of answers from Cyborg as Beastboy struggled to a standing position, using the wall as support, and Raven kept quiet, walking over to Ranma who hadn't moved since Beastboy's fist left his face.

Raven lifted a hand and moved to gently touch where Beastboy had hit Ranma, "Does it hurt?"

He stared at her for a second before answering with a quiet murmur, "Not anymore."

Robin spoke again, "Stop. Speak clearly, Cyborg," He waited a second for Cyborg to calm down and compose himself, "Now, tell me again, what happened here?"

"Beastboy went against your orders," Cyborg answered.

"And the door?" Robin asked with a raised eyebrow.

Cyborg sheepishly responded, "My fault."

"So any explanation for Beastboy denting our wall?" Robin looked at Raven for this one.

"He attacked my guest," Raven said simply.

Robin shook his head, "Beastboy, we've spoken about attacking guests before. I don't want to have to lecture you again-"

"He's not supposed to be here!" Beastboy shouted.

Raven stepped forward, "What do you mean?"

"Robin ran a background check on him," Beastboy pointed at Ranma, "He's supposed to be dead!"

"Beastboy-," Robin started.

"No, she has a right to know," Beastboy countered.

"Now is not the time, Beastboy," Robin shot back, a sharp warning in his voice.

Beastboy paused at the tone and backed down for the moment, he glared at Ranma, "I've said it before, I'll say it again, this isn't over." He turned and began walked down the hallway, shaking off Cyborg's hand as he stumbled slightly.

They watched Beastboy's form disappear into the shadows of the hallway before turning towards each other.

"Well that was fun," Cyborg said, inching away, "I'm going to go make sure Beastboy doesn't do anything dumb…again."

When Cyborg was gone Robin turned to Ranma, "For someone who has only been here less than a few hours you cause a lot of chaos."

"It's a bad habit," Ranma answered tilting his head slightly.

"So it is," Robin said, turning and picking up the door, "I'll have Cyborg come fix the door later, Raven," He nodded to her as he propped the door up against the wall next to the doorway and then disappeared down the hallway in the direction both Cyborg and Beastboy had left.

Starfire was left hanging in the air as both Raven and Ranma stood silently, one staring at the other, the other watching Starfire.

Starfire blinked and panicked, "Oh no! My Tamaranean special!"

Ranma blinked at Starfire's form as it vanished in the opposite direction as Robin and the others, towards the kitchen, "Is she usually like that?"

"Always," Raven answered, she waited until he was facing her to say anything else, locking his eyes with hers, "Why are you supposed to be dead?"

To Be Continued…

* * *

Reviews welcome. Flames will be used to fend off lawyers.

-Lov3the3vil


	4. Chapter 4

DISCLAIMER: College drains more energy than the knowledge it gives. Completely off topic, I own nothing and am not doing this for any profit. So don't sue me.

Comatose

Chapter 4

"Because if they knew I was alive my time here would be even more limited than it already is," Ranma responded without hesitation. He moved to the window and looked outside, watching the wind move shadows about the landscape, each one forming a tortured figure only he could see.

"Ranma, what's going on?" Raven asked, "It's as if your entire existence right now is some sort of psychological suspense film. And while you're explaining that, could you maybe shed some light on what happened between you and Beastboy?"

Ranma turned from the window and stared at Raven, his eyes glinting in the flickering light of the lit candles in her room. His eyes searched hers again before he shook his head, "Raven…I'm tired… is there somewhere I can sleep?"

"Ranma-"

"Please, Raven…" He paused, seeming to look at his shoulder for a moment, "I'll explain everything in due time…but please, it's been a long trip…"

She sighed before nodding and leading him to a door just down the hall from her own, "This is one of the few guest rooms that hasn't been turned into a storage room yet, you can stay here tonight, but I do want answers tomorrow."

Ranma gave her a small smile, "Thank you," and he leaned in, giving her a small peck on the lips before disappearing into the darkness of the guestroom.

Raven placed her fingers on her lips before shaking her head, "He's not the same, but he's not a complete stranger either…I wonder just how much he's actually changed."

----- ----- -----

Ranma slipped under the covers of the full-size bed and shivered as the cool sheets settled around his form, slowly warmed by his body heat. He lay there staring at the ceiling; he hadn't slept in weeks, having to constantly keep on the move to avoid capture again.

Gradually, the effort to stay awake left him and he drifted off, once again at the mercy of his subconscious mind.

----- ----- -----

"You realize they'll kill you."

He knew that voice, he knew it so well…it was the same voice that had sung him to sleep as a child, taught him everything he knew about being what he had become.

"I don't care. You don't deserve what they do to you, you stopped needing those treatments years ago!"

That was his voice… he must've been at least 16. When was this though…? This was…yes…it was the day before…

"They know what they're doing, kiddo."

"No they don't! They just want you as a slave and you know it, Kimiko!"

"That's enough!"

"But, Kimiko-"

"Stop it, Ranma."

"…I just don't want you to get hurt anymore…you're the only family I've got…"

"You're sweet, kiddo, but I'll be fine."

Whereas the entire scene had been shown in the form of glimpses in black and white a sudden explosion rocked him back and he fought back the tears he knew would inevitably invade his vision. Debris flew past his face and he could feel the heat on his body, his cheeks were wet and his sight already blurring.

A ring fell from the wreckage that was once his apartment, it was half melted away and charred, the only thing still in one piece being the small diamond that had once been mounted beautifully on it.

"No…"

First they had taken him from the only love he'd ever known.

"No…this…"

Then they had taken his humanity.

"…this can't be…no, she can't…"

Now…they had taken from him the only sense of home and motherly affection he'd ever felt.

"NO, KIMIKO!"

------ ----- -----

"KIMIKO!" He sat up, panting, unable to breathe. He could still feel the oppressive heat from the apartment floor only several yards from him in his mind. The flames licking at his clothes, his body aching from having been abused by flying debris, his heart wrenched in pain from seeing the ring lying at his feet. He did his best to take deep breaths; it was all he could do to not breakdown into sobs from the images that would forever be burnt into his mind.

He held shaking hands to his face before one of them traveled to his ear where a single diamond stud pierced his lobe. He closed his eyes and concentrated on breathing while his mind raced.

The dreams, they were becoming more vivid as time went on, it was a part of the enhancements in his DNA. He didn't forget, he only remembered. It was something they had planned out specifically for him to keep him tame; they'd hoped that the burden of remembering would keep him subdued enough to control. Little did they know it would be one of the reasons why he would run.

He looked at the digital clock sitting on the nightstand.

"4 am…" He muttered. He rose from the bed and opened the solitary window in the room before slipping out onto the edge of it and jumping. From the edge of the window, he rose the five stories needed to reach the roof and landed with nary a sound.

Ranma concentrated for a moment before a pair of sai slid out of his forearms. He held them in his palms and stared at them, feeling them pulse in time with his heartbeat before closing his eyes and sliding into a fighting stance, sai poised in front of him in the shape of an X.

"Kiyah!" The shout disturbed the birds in the area and they flew off in flocks as Ranma began flowing through his forms with deadly precision. Every strike was swift and lethal; every block, strong and solid. It wasn't long before he was moving through the forms with his eyes closed, his senses open to his surroundings, and he moved subconsciously.

He growled as his sai impaled his imaginary opponent in the appropriate areas in order to pick them up with just his sai and lift them over his head before continuing and dropping the imaginary corpse to the ground with another shout. Flawlessly, his sai melted and formed a bo staff as he shifted stances and began a new set of forms.

The door opened silently as Robin stepped out onto the roof and closed it behind him. He sat down as quietly as possible and just watched Ranma practice. Ranma flowed through several different sets of forms, one for a sword, one for two swords, one for tonfa, and two for no weapon. Each one was fluid, graceful, deadly, and ripped a "Kiyah!" from Ranma's throat just as the birds on the roof were settling on their perches once more. When Ranma was finished he bowed in Robin's direction and moved to sit beside him, taking a gulp of water from a bottle that had seemingly appeared from nowhere.

"Impressive." Robin stated. "Where'd you learn?"

"From my old man and passing through a bunch of shrines while traveling mostly." Ranma answered evenly.

"Beastboy doesn't understand why we're letting you stay here."

"If Raven didn't have anything to do with it, I'd wonder the same thing."

"Are you really supposed to be dead?"

"A failed assassination attempt gave me the escape I needed. For all of your safety, that is all that needs to be said."

"Raven would have gotten the full story from you."

"Raven would know when to stop asking questions." Ranma stood and looked out at the water surrounding the tower. "I wouldn't worry too much. I don't plan on staying very long." He looked at Robin through his peripheral. "It's too dangerous to stay in any one place for too long. I don't want to endanger you and your friends."

"Or Raven." Robin added.

"Raven is a given." Ranma offered Robin his hand.

Robin smiled slightly, feeling he could trust this young man, if only for now. "Breakfast should be ready soon." He grasped Ranma's hand in his and was pulled to his feet with a slight tug. "I hope you don't mind tofu, Beastboy is cooking this morning."

"After eating crickets and ants in Thailand, tofu isn't half as bad as most people make it out to be."

Robin blinked at the green-eyed boy and shook his head as they made their way off the roof. "I've got to hear this story."

----- ----- -----

Robin led Ranma downstairs as they talked of idle things and the quiet murmur in the kitchen settled into quiet as they arrived. There was an awkward silence that permeated the room centering on Ranma and Beastboy. There was a long pause as the two stared at one another and Robin moved to warn Beastboy about being courteous, but Ranma beat him to it with a bow.

"I apologize for my actions last night, Beastboy." The green Titan growled, but Ranma continued regardless, "I was overtired and stressed and you all deserve an explanation about what happened."

"After, will you explain more about what you've been doing?" Raven asked.

"I can only reveal so much without severely endangering your lives…" Ranma trailed off, thinking on it. "But I'll explain what I can."

Raven nodded, satisfied that she would at least get _some_ of the answers she was looking for. Robin walked to the table and Ranma followed, taking the empty seat next to Raven, opposite Beastboy. Plates were already on the table and the food was served, as the Titans ate Ranma picked at the food on his plate and began his story.

"As I told Raven last night, I was kidnapped eight years ago and unwillingly enrolled in a program that involved genetic experiments and gene splicing. To make a long, grueling story short, my DNA was spliced with that of a wolf," Ranma paused, setting his fork down, not hungry at all not that old memories were resurfacing once more. "Needless to say, this has left me with a certain affinity to the species, I have since had a measure of control over and communication with canines, though I'm much more attune to wolves."

"Which would explain last night… somehow." Cyborg pieced together.

"Yes," Ranma nodded once, "Somehow the DNA splicing has allowed me to gain almost complete control over all types of wolves. Which is why I could stop Beastboy in his tracks while he was a wolf."

Before anything else could be said or explained, the alarm went off, signaling trouble within Jump City. Robin ran to the main screen and brought up a video of what was happening that set off their alarms.

On the screen two people prowled the streets, shouting and killing people mercilessly. Bodies already lay on the street behind them, blood seeping into cracks in the pavement and collecting in pools in pot holes. There were no moans of the injured, only screams of the living.

Ranma paled at the sight. "They've found me."

"Who's found you?" Robin demanded. Raven's eyes widened marginally at Ranma's words, knowing, vaguely, who he was talking about.

"I have to go." Ranma said, running up the stairs to Raven's room to change. The Titan's followed him upstairs, Raven at the forefront, the rest minus Beastboy behind her. Beastboy stayed in the kitchen, horrified and angered at the scene presented before him.

"I knew he was trouble…"

----- ----- -----

Ranma emerged from Raven's room seconds before they arrived, already dressed in a different outfit. His black pants were loose enough to allow mobility and were tucked into his matching black boots. His black shirt was long sleeved and the v-neck was closed with strings. He tightened the dark leather of the vambraces that had replaced his leather bracers, running his hands over the metal designs on the other half of them.

He started when he looked up to find the four of them before him.

"Who are those people?" Robin demanded.

"I don't have time to explain-" Ranma was interrupted as Cyborg slammed him into the wall with a single hand.

"No, you _will_ explain who those people are." Robin reiterated, "Because they are out there _slaughtering_ innocent people in _our_ city. Now," his eyes narrowed into slits, "explain."

Ranma nodded once, "Fine, but the longer we stay here the more people die out there."

"You better talk fast then." Cyborg answered.

"Their names are Trent and Paola," Ranma spoke quickly, "They're assassin's, the top two in the Company… after me."

That stopped the Titans in their tracks for a moment. "You're an assassin?" Robin asked, his eyes narrowed, making a note to take Beastboy a little more seriously from now on.

"Yes, but we need to get out there _now_ before I can tell you anything else. Their orders were probably to kill people to root me out."

"Why would they massacre people to look for another murderer?" Cyborg stated with scorn.

"Can we do this while we head to the city? I really don't want anymore people to die." Ranma pleaded with them.

"That's why," Raven said to Cyborg, angry that they would turn on Ranma without hearing all of his story.

They all began moving down to the garage, Robin taking lead, Ranma keeping pace beside them.

"Is there anything specific we should know about them before we actually get there?" Robin asked.

"Yes," Ranma answered, keeping his eyes forward, "Trent was spliced with Buffalo, don't underestimate him, you'll need a lot of power to overwhelm him, or agility and really good blades. Paola got the Crocodile, you'll need to take her out from a distance and don't let her grapple you."

They got back to the main room where Beastboy stood waiting. He looked at them, then back at the screen before speaking. "Who's 'Bane'?"

"That would be me, let's keep moving." Ranma gestured for Robin to keep leading the way. "When we get to wherever we're going, I'm going ahead, I would suggest staying back and surprising them."

Arriving at the garage, Cyborg got into the T-car with Beastboy and Robin got onto his cycle. The garage door began opening and Ranma turned to them with serious eyes.

"One last thing before you all risk your lives for the greater good," Raven watched Ranma closely, wondering what else he would give them to work with. "Trent and Paola are going to try and kill you, I suggest you do the same, despite whatever code you've fought with before."

Before anyone could say anything, Ranma's form seemed to fade out of view. Everyone turned to Raven with questions in their eyes.

"I don't know when he learned to do that."

"Can we please go?" Starfire asked. "People need not die because we sought answers at the wrong moment."

"Starfire's right," Robin agreed, he took a deep breath and revved the engine of his cycle. "Titan's go!"

----- ----- -----

A/N: Yes, slightly shorter than my normal chapter, but I had an urge to write, so you all got lucky. This may seem a little rushed, but that's because it was. From here on out, the story is going to pick up speed, it was never meant to be drawn out either, so it'll probably end before ten chapters. Just so you know.

-LT3


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